A YOUNG GIRL'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15001, 24 May 1912, Page 9

A YO UNG GIRL'S DEATH.

- ~» Th , INQUEST CONCLUDED. . A tf ILLEGAL OPERATION. ! » UNKNOWN PERSON BLAMED. fetW lfs ' *,' , ■■"• ' ' '.'..■■■, ■ ".■'■■ ,' < igOME STARTLING EVIDENCE. ! i X* adjourned inquest concerning the ■- • -£ h' of the young woman, Phyllis Adc- ■■■':■■ ft? French, who died at a private hos- /■.:'•-•?? in Grafton Road on April 20, included yesterday before Mr. : -V , * a R Harris, Coroner, and a jury, at the ■ftiWs Hotel, Symonds-skeet. Chief'Steclivo Marsack conducted the inquiry, D n f Ir R. A. Singer watched the pro. •Sin;', on behalf of Wilfred John \ Eke a former friend of the deceased ■ * and of Miss Warner, at whose house ; ' : Si« French was first taken ill. * So proceedings lasted from 11 a.m. un-t-i a p.m. with two intervals for meals. . "in the end the jury found that death was ' th« result of an operation, but were unaWe to fUrfe Who performed same. Over three hours were occupied in the ' lamination of Clarke, who was the feet Stness called. He described himself as 1 a ctaamercial traveller, in the employ of ' MfISStS. T. and S. Motrin and Co., Limited According to his evidence witness : , fir,- met Mis* French and her mother in Q 'ober or November last on a boat, upon •, u ' which he was returning from a business ' ' trip -o a provincial town. Mrs. and Miss French went to live at Mis* Warner's, 7'« id he became a constant visitor there. Witness stated that, at the mother's reattest, that he should keep an eye on dece»sed, he paid her considerable attention, and frequently took her out. * Prised as to the nature of his relations '' ■ with Miss French, Clarke denied that he treated her as a young man treats the girl he intends to marry. , On one occasion Miss Warner told him his attentions to the ' girl ought to be nipped in the bud, unL : less ho intended to go on with it. He j ' repliei! that the girl wanted looking after— not that there was anything in,-the girl's . : conduct that required that he should look j i ' after her. He declared that he never pro- j L' posed* to deceased, nor knew that. Miss Warner thought he. was going to marry ; -. -■'■■■ - .•" ..'•• .. ' ' - :.:' .- ' ' i P'. : . her. '■■■. .. The chief detective read a letter, writ- j ;■ , ten from Rotorua on January 12 last by ; I Misa Warner to Mrs. French, in which the writer alluded to Clarke, and said she had | spoken straight to him about deceased. i •'■' • She mentioned that she thought his mien- I %. . tions were honourable. I Witness 'a Married Matt. K;'::'.' '■» j l '-," !:'■■' '■'' : ;*;'v'.''' ! kv /j -•■'■':''v'-''. ; ' '■"-- ' : .U'Vi-'i'' 1 -".™'.'.-- v' : ■'•■■'/■.' -.> "■ ■'-"'.."'- ' i I It* further examination, witness admit- % r - ■ ted he was a married man, and that his 1 if a ,was in Christchurch. „ , , H Mr. Marsack: Did you teh deceased this fact -Yes, I did. ■ , ■•■ I Bid yon tell Miss Warner or Mrs. fi : "'■' French?-— Sl ' .. . I HI your interest in deceased was to look ir.. .-:' after her and keer her straight?— Yes. , i Do you know of anyone who was walk.-. 1 out with Miss French!— do not. I ' ; When yon were away* did you corresi pond frequently with the girl ?—No. Very i rarely—-an occasional postcard or note, ; jus* to say where I was. . , '"/'Did you couch your communications in Lrfectionate term?, and put kisses on the %■'■ '< bottom?— might have done that. ■ ■- V Mr. Marsack here read a letter, admit- '. ' tedly written to deceased by witness from \ Wiangarei on January 23, over the signaIturo "Jack." This expressed his tllsap- ! pointment at not having received an exA peeled letter from Miss French. ;• Never *mind. old girl.** the communication pro f . ' ceeded, " something 'must' have happened to you or to your Tetter, because 1 dont X think yon would deliberately : disappoint I me. Am living in hopes of finding you f ' r M well as ever, and still the same Phyllis. This has been a-loaely and trying journey ;i - pnyL, and I've had a lot of time to think ' afc'Wt yon. I wonder if yon have found time to think of * somebody* the same : -"ray." V • " TO letter closed with the sentences : "Well, that is all, and do you mind if J have a drink and go to bed? Will be tote* on Thursday night. '.you are | ~ doing nothing, come and meet the boat. ■ ..''-■'■■ i-"The letter has a couple of kisses on ; the bottom of the sheet," said Mr.; Mar- \' ' , saaki He asked witness if he considered that a' proper letter to write to a girl_to whom he; was acting; as guardian. He i- ' '"-relied' In the affirmative. ■■■.-*.' Bid I'm kisses on the letter ever materialise?—Oh, yes. I kissed her many a '.'■.. " '.tiine.""" . ;; ; '■ , Is that what yon consider proper conduct in a married man whose wife was * , *'>'S3vT—Oh, I don't think she would have ; ; ;; mended. .: ■; '-■: t What Happened at "Onion-street. * * Continuing, witness said he went to t . stay at 7, Upper Union-street, on the Sunday before Mis» French, died. At that - time he did not know the girl's actual condition. He would swear that. At j «nout two a.m. on April 18 Miss Warner came to his room and asked him to go for a nurse. .She said Phyllis was bad, but ' c? ; not tell him what, was the matter. ' ' He brought the nurse (Mrs. Barren) back :to the house. He only told her Miss W T *rner wanted to see her. The nurse. ' ~ went into deceased's room, and Witness ? rr.t to bed. ! : Continuing, witness said he saw.de- ,;.: p ' 'eeased in her ' room before he, went to , work that morning (April 18). Prior to that Miss Warner knocked at his door, | " and told him a certain thing had hap-1 ■>v'.',;■ pened; to the patient, and that she was j •going to ring up Dr. King. ■ ' * S4 Was that the ''-first you knew of what | *a» really the matter with deceased ? — . : Absolutely the first. Posing as a Married Woman. , ''Up to the time of the arrival of the -,''-none, . had there been any arrangement between Miss Warner, Miss French, and . .yourself that deceased should poso as ,7(:;;;'*Mrs. James" and you as " Mr. James?!' | -No.; When you saw deceased on the morning, ■what passed between you?— said, " Well, , here's a pretty mess. What have you been ■ doing?" She admitted straight away the truth as to her condition. She then I suggested that as Dr. King was coming - 'along she should pose as " Mrs. James." Who suggested that name?— Deceased ''did. Did she also suggest that you should pose as " Mr. James V — : and I consented. .'■■ Did you consider that you were taking ,s_ grave responsibility upon yourself — Yes, most decidedly; and I would,do the fctino thing to-morrow under similar cir- ■ ' <:ianstances. Witness was examined at length upon ' Jfttj ereuts following upon the night of April 17, and the circumstances leading up | 115 the admission of deceased to Bawling- j stone private hospital. After Dr. Mil:;.*oni,'4 examination of deceased in the bos- ; pud., the former suggested to witness that ] x Wii had been some " funny business," j ' £r that was the impression conveyed to ■'■'' h,T n by what the doctor said. . ■ ' \'L* Witness Was informed by the nurse at .■'■Wis hospital that prior to Miss French's ' **&th : she was calling out for "Jack," ~ leaning himself. • ' t; .- | {_- ! 'j , ;;, i ; l '.:. ( Alt»r . Miss French's : .Death. yn ths| day after the girl's death Dr. ■ ' SU?om Again referred to the cause of her ffiueas, «fad told witness he could not give * eertiffcate of death, . and that there .■■■:: *e«if 3 have to be an inquest. He did not ' .Val • Wittcss ho would, probably bo re- , . qaited ai, the inquest. Witness denied ■ '\/t-38S& "Suppose they cannot find me?" ,'., * ?*[did say was, " Supposing the inJi'iest tales .place when I am away on a ■ bUMnoas trip?" ■ 2 .use doctor then told 'r him to seek legal . -*»** I He did not ay, "The detec- ; - ■ . - Vi » s»ilt soon find yon," but he advised if n .» */, ■ ' "5 &■?■■<' ; ' : v"' : ' ■'''■'"'. ' 'V -:'!

witness to sco the chief detective, which xvitnessdid not do. Neither did he seek legal advice, but Went away on his business trip. He thought fie bad done enough. . • Did your .employers know you were going on that trip f—Yes. Then you' did not surreptitiously leave the office, leaving your coat behind No.' I rang up the office to have my coat brought to me, and asked if there was any news. ; Mr. Bruce brought me the coat. ; Did he tell you the detectives were looking for you?— No. He handed me my coat and ■ went away. '■. '{ Did you call at the office for your travelling expenses before starting on the trip —No; but that is not an unusual thing. Witness Had Nothing to Hide. Witness went on to state that ho went to the house of a friend (Mr. Hodgson) after the death of deceased, and staved there for two or three nights. Miss Warner, whom he saw on the Sunday night, did not tell him that the detectives were inquiring for him, but advised him to go and see the chief detective or Detective McMahon. Witness, however, did not ! think it necessary to do so. If you had nothing to hide, or be ashamed of,was there any reason why you should not have come uo to see me?—lf i I had nothing to hide, \jjss there any reason why I should? I did not think it j advisable, that is all. The first detective you saw was at MaungaturotoYes. Are you not the person who was responsible for the condition of the deceased?— X am not. Questioned by a juryman, witness said that during Miss Warner's absence at Rotorua he did not enter her house. He sometimes met deceased when she left business. They did not always go straight home, but. occasionally to the pictures. V- ">' ' A Preamnged Business Trip. Examined bv Mr. Singer, witness said Mr. Hodgson advised him to go upon his ordinary trip after Miss French's death. The trip had been mapped out by his employers. .. • Witness went away at mid-day on April 23, following the ordinary course and calling on the firm's customers as prearranged. ' His employers knew where to find liim. He was served with a subpeena bv Detective Gumming on April 28 at Maungaturoto, and lie left for. Auckland on May 1. Witness did not intend taking legal advice, and did not do so until a few days ago. He then went to a lawyer, owing to friends showing him certain published prints, which appeared to implicate him in connection with the case. Witness added that he was asked by Detective McMahon in Auckland to alter | the statement he had made to Detective J Gumming at Maungaturoto. " j Re-examined by Mr. Marsack, witness | stated that Detective McMahon skid no j jury would "believe that he (witness) was not responsible for deceased's condition. ! The detective told him that if he (witness) j would admit that fact, ho (the detective] would ' tear up his first statement, and give him till next day to \ prepare an- | other. He replied that he had no altera-1 tion to make. - '...■' '.'.'V -.' ' Evidence of Nurse Buwen. Rachel Burren, a registered midwife, re- j siding . at Pompailier Terrace, Ponsonby, : deposed to being called for between two a.m. and three a.m. on April 18 by a man, who asked her to go to Miss Warner's, as a young ladv boarder there had been suddenly taken ill. The man was the previous witness Clarke, f Oh the way to Union-street she did not disctiss the case with Clarke. - . On 'seeing deceased hi her room she asked i her what was. the i matter. The patient,replied that • she had had a fall whilst; putting" up a verandah blind, and expressed sorrow at the consequence. After tending the .patient; witness urged the necessity of a doctor being obtained, and left to take up 5 other duties. On calling next day she found deceased looking bright, but learned that the doctor had not called. ; Witness described the "difficulties arid delays experienced, in ob« taining; a doctor,. A private hospital was suggested, , but deceased declared she would rather die than go to,a hospital. ■■; v Witness remained in charge of the pati- ; ent until she wait taken to the private hospital where she died. She never saw "Mr. James'' in the house, and did not know who he was. Witness knew deceased as " Mrs. James" until the latter was objecting to going to a hospital. ; Miss Warner then undeceived her. Nothing witness saw whilst she" was* attending deceased caused her to suspect that there had been previous interference with her. v . ■■: :: To Mr. Singer : Miss Warner was anxious to do all that was possible- for deceased/ and; she and witness did do all that was possible. What a Neighbour Saw and Heard. Mary Whalstrom; married, a nurse by profession, residing at No. 5, Upper Union-street, next door to .where Misa Warner used to live,' deposed that towards the end of : last December, or the beginning of January, the thought from fiymptcms she observed in deceased that the latter was in a certain'condition. She saw Wilfred Clarke often with deceased, and they appeared to act like lovers. • Sometimes they would in the passage between witness's bouse and Miss Warner's until 12.30 a.m. Witness was very friendly with i deceased, and looked after her while Miss Warner \ was in Rotorua. V-'Nobody f but Clarke kept company with deceased so far ' as witness knew. Mrs. French had told witness that she wanted j her daughter to be.a good girl, as she de- J sired her to marry Clarke. | The witness further stated that when j deceased was taken ill, Miss Warner told I her the girl had scarlatina. Witness did ! not H then mention her own suspicions. j On future occasions when she called to in- j quire after deceased Miss Warner held the door slightly ajar, and did not let her in. j When neighbours Disagree. I • When Miss French died, witness con-1 tinued, Miss Warner expressed a, wish that j she had called her- in as she. might, have j saved her life. Witness went on to say that Miss Warner was annoyed at her i speaking to the detectives. Miss Warner said she knew all the detectives, and could j "square" them. Witness then said to her, ! "You told me lies, and the detectives j want to know the truth. I shall tell them' j the truth." To a juryman: When Miss Warner was j away at Rotorua she saw Clarke in and j about the house next doer. Deceased was a nice, unassuming girl, and not bold. She did not give witness the idea that Miss j Warner knew of her condition. | ; Some nights after the death of deceased, j witness continued, she went to see Mrs. j French at a private hospital in Ponsonby. j Miss Warner was there. I What transpired?-—She told me I had no business there. I said I had as much right there as she had. j And what did she say?— She called out, i "Matron, do not let this woman in to j see the patient." , ! A Painful Scene Ensues. Mrs. Walilstrom was proceeding to re- 1 peat some statements which she alleged i she had heard from' a neighbour, when,! upon. her making a certain assertion, Miss i Warner, who was sitting in the room, j burst into tears, and in , the subsequent j confusion was heard crying, " Oh, you bad ] woman." ' At this stage the witness Clarke led the agitated -woman from the room, the latter | still sobbing and repeating, "She is a bad j woman.'''. ~ ' > v4 '' -, ■ . ■' : '| Some of the Jurymen thereupon asked the Coroner to stop the witness. Mr, Singer: It is disgraceful. This is just the typo of scandal —, Witness (interrupting): It is not scandal. , ": : . ,'.'.. : A Juryman: We are not listening to it, i Mr. Singer. It is not being taken down. Other Jurors: No. *:. : :■.'>•.- ■ Mr. Singer I thank you, gentlemen. The witness was about to: resume the thread of what she had been saying when Miss Warner broke down, but' was stopped by the Coroner. • v A Stormy Cross-examination. I : Mr. Singer cross-examined the witness, adopting a somewhat emphatic tone, which drew a mild protest from the foreman of the " jury, and i 'a l . l retort, from counsel; - |

Mr. Singer (to witness): Are you sure it ■> was; in December you first noticed deceased's symptoms? # Failing to get a reply to this question in the* form he anted it, Mr. Singer pressed it repeatedly until two or three of the jury again protested, one suggesting to the Coroner that counsel's manner was "too bullying." * .. Some confusion ensued, in which: many voices were raised in, unison. A juryman earned a rebuke from the Coroner for tolling. Mr. Singer that he was losing half the effect of his evidence by the manner in which ho was questioning the witness. j The examination was presently resumed, but 'was not continued , without further altercations between Mr. Singer, on the [ one hand, the witness, Mr. Marsack, and | the jury on the other. I Witness denied having suggested to | anybody that she was annoyed at not be- ! ing called in (in her capacity as a nurse) | to attend deceased. . The somewhat startling statement was ! then made by the indignant lady to the | effect that a certain person alleged that she had been told by Miss Warner that j | if witness went to give evidence against I j her (Miss Warner) she would "tear her j j limb from limb." "Witness's informant i had, she said, added that Miss, Warner | had remarked that when the Coroner saw i her "monkey face" he would turn her out of the Court. ■'.'-■; /; Miss Warner was also alleged to have. stated that whilst she was out one day. I witness had gone into her house and per-1 formed an illegal operation upon deceased. ;..■■.>.:■',■; '■. • T'"[ A lengthy cross-examination closed after some of the jurymen had'again intervened oh behalf of the witness. Mr. Singer submitted that he had been endeavouring to show whether witness had good grounds for entertaining feelings of enmity towards Miss Warner. Pinal Stages and Verdict. Detective-Sergeant McMahon stated that he had not asked Clarke to alter his original statement to Detective Gumming. He did tell him it might be ( difficult to get a jury to believe his denials in connection- with deceased under all the circumstances. He advised him to think the matter over, and if he had any alteration to make to come next morning and make it. Dr. Milsom was recalled at the request of the jury, and replied to one -or two technical questions. The jury retired at 9.20 p.m., and ten minutes later returned a verdict to the effect that death was duo to septicemia, tho result, of an illegal operation performed by some person or, persons unknown, * % ''.'";,' f '